Cape Town: The presidential jet, Inkwazi, is currently grounded after it collided into steel beams while being towed into a hangar at Cape Town International Airport, said the national defence ministry on Saturday.
Siphiwe Dlamini, defence spokesperson, told Weekend Argus the plane left the Waterkloof Air Force Base on Monday and landed safely in Cape Town when the incident occurred.
“The people who tow those things, SAA Technical, damaged the tail of the plane,” said Dlamini, adding that it’s “not catastrophic”.
He also said that the president was not on the plane and that it is currently inoperative.
“The tail of the plane is damaged by this knock, so we need to take precaution,” said Dlamini, alluding to the fact that the jet is in for repairs.
Government spokesperson Michael Currin told Weekend Argus that he is aware of the incident and referred all queries to Dlamini.
The 15-seater Boeing 737 aircraft is used to transport the president and operated by 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force.
Last year the Presidency came under fire after it emerged that it paid R1.6million to national carrier, South African Airways, to fly Ramaphosa to the Democratic Republic of Congo when Inkwazi was out of commission.
Weekend Argus